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Thousands of Afghans crossing border to Iran daily: officials
Thousands of Afghans are migrating to Iran every day, local officials in the border province of Herat said on Saturday.
More than 2,000 Afghans enter the neighboring country legally through Islam Qala border crossing daily, officials said. Hundreds more cross the border without having travel documents.
Most of the migrants leave Afghanistan in search of work or economic opportunities.
“We work here from morning to evening, but we don’t get even 200 afghanis, so we have to go to Iran and then to other countries,” said Mohammad Arif, a resident of Faryab.
Humayon Hemat, deputy of Islam Qala Commissary, said there are also those who leave to seek medical treatment.
While the level of migration from Afghanistan to Iran has increased in recent months, hundreds return every day, both voluntarily and involuntarily.
“We were in Iran for one year. They warned they would fine us if we did not leave. So we thought to leave and come back with passports,” said Noor Rahim, an Afghan returnee.
Officials said that dozens of Afghan families return from Iran voluntarily.
Iran shares a 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan and hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, made up mostly of Afghans who have arrived over the past 40 years. Some 3.6 million Afghans reside in the neighboring country.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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